Montgomery County receives over $6 million in Meijer opioid settlement

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Millions of dollars have been awarded to Montgomery County as part of an opioid settlement with Meijer, Inc.

Meijer, Inc. was one of the various opioid manufacturers and distributors that Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. filed lawsuits against on behalf of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners in July 2018. In 2021, retail pharmacy defendants were added to the litigation as part of a combined multidistrict litigation.

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Without admitting wrongdoing, the company entered into a $35 million settlement agreement on May 1 with Montgomery County and 46 other jurisdictions. On May 4, Montgomery County was awarded $6.38 million as part of the settlement.

Montgomery County’s settlement also means that an additional $675,000 will be placed into the “Common Benefit Fund” and will be used by other jurisdictions in the county to help deal with the effects of the opioid crisis, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Heck said the settlement money will “immediately provide” the county and local jurisdictions money for drug treatment and prevention programs, as well as public education.

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“The opioid crisis affected Montgomery County in profound ways. I am pleased that working alongside the Board of County Commissioners, we were able to reach this settlement. This will benefit the citizens of Montgomery County in combatting and recovering from opioid addiction,” Heck said.

There is still additional litigation against some companies that remains ongoing.

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